diff --git a/src/HomeSpan.cpp b/src/HomeSpan.cpp
index 0435c93..f36956e 100644
--- a/src/HomeSpan.cpp
+++ b/src/HomeSpan.cpp
@@ -60,10 +60,9 @@ void Span::begin(Category catID, const char *displayName, const char *hostNameBa
   controlButton.init(controlPin);
   statusLED.init(statusPin,0,autoOffLED);
 
-  int maxLimit=CONFIG_LWIP_MAX_SOCKETS-2-otaEnabled;
-  if(maxConnections>maxLimit)
-    maxConnections=maxLimit;
-
+  if(requestedMaxCon<maxConnections)                          // if specific request for max connections is less than computed max connections
+    maxConnections=requestedMaxCon;                           // over-ride max connections with requested value
+    
   hap=(HAPClient **)calloc(maxConnections,sizeof(HAPClient *));
   for(int i=0;i<maxConnections;i++)
     hap[i]=new HAPClient;
diff --git a/src/HomeSpan.h b/src/HomeSpan.h
index 607f0e0..7a86512 100644
--- a/src/HomeSpan.h
+++ b/src/HomeSpan.h
@@ -123,7 +123,8 @@ struct Span{
   uint16_t autoOffLED=0;                                      // automatic turn-off duration (in seconds) for Status LED
   int controlPin=DEFAULT_CONTROL_PIN;                         // pin for Control Pushbutton
   uint8_t logLevel=DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL;                         // level for writing out log messages to serial monitor
-  uint8_t maxConnections=DEFAULT_MAX_CONNECTIONS;             // number of simultaneous HAP connections
+  uint8_t maxConnections=CONFIG_LWIP_MAX_SOCKETS-2;           // maximum number of allowed simultaneous HAP connections
+  uint8_t requestedMaxCon=CONFIG_LWIP_MAX_SOCKETS-2;          // requested maximum number of simultaneous HAP connections
   unsigned long comModeLife=DEFAULT_COMMAND_TIMEOUT*1000;     // length of time (in milliseconds) to keep Command Mode alive before resuming normal operations
   uint16_t tcpPortNum=DEFAULT_TCP_PORT;                       // port for TCP communications between HomeKit and HomeSpan
   char qrID[5]="";                                            // Setup ID used for pairing with QR Code
@@ -182,22 +183,27 @@ struct Span{
   void setApTimeout(uint16_t nSec){network.lifetime=nSec*1000;}           // sets Access Point Timeout (seconds)
   void setCommandTimeout(uint16_t nSec){comModeLife=nSec*1000;}           // sets Command Mode Timeout (seconds)
   void setLogLevel(uint8_t level){logLevel=level;}                        // sets Log Level for log messages (0=baseline, 1=intermediate, 2=all)
-  void setMaxConnections(uint8_t nCon){maxConnections=nCon;}              // sets maximum number of simultaneous HAP connections (HAP requires devices support at least 8)
+  void reserveSocketConnections(uint8_t n){maxConnections-=n;}            // reserves n socket connections *not* to be used for HAP
   void setHostNameSuffix(const char *suffix){hostNameSuffix=suffix;}      // sets the hostName suffix to be used instead of the 6-byte AccessoryID
   void setPortNum(uint16_t port){tcpPortNum=port;}                        // sets the TCP port number to use for communications between HomeKit and HomeSpan
   void setQRID(const char *id);                                           // sets the Setup ID for optional pairing with a QR Code
-  void enableOTA(boolean auth=true){otaEnabled=true;otaAuth=auth;}        // enables Over-the-Air updates, with (auth=true) or without (auth=false) authorization password
   void setSketchVersion(const char *sVer){sketchVersion=sVer;}            // set optional sketch version number
   const char *getSketchVersion(){return sketchVersion;}                   // get sketch version number
   void setWifiCallback(void (*f)()){wifiCallback=f;}                      // sets an optional user-defined function to call once WiFi connectivity is established
   void setPairCallback(void (*f)(boolean isPaired)){pairCallback=f;}      // sets an optional user-defined function to call when Pairing is established (true) or lost (false)
   void setApFunction(void (*f)()){apFunction=f;}                          // sets an optional user-defined function to call when activating the WiFi Access Point
-  
-  void setPairingCode(const char *s){sprintf(pairingCodeCommand,"S %9s",s);}   // sets the Pairing Code - use is NOT recommended.  Use 'S' from CLI instead
-  void deleteStoredValues(){processSerialCommand("V");}                         // deletes stored Characteristic values from NVS
-  
+
   void enableAutoStartAP(){autoStartAPEnabled=true;}                      // enables auto start-up of Access Point when WiFi Credentials not found
   void setWifiCredentials(const char *ssid, const char *pwd);             // sets WiFi Credentials
+
+  void setPairingCode(const char *s){sprintf(pairingCodeCommand,"S %9s",s);}    // sets the Pairing Code - use is NOT recommended.  Use 'S' from CLI instead
+  void deleteStoredValues(){processSerialCommand("V");}                         // deletes stored Characteristic values from NVS  
+
+  void enableOTA(boolean auth=true){otaEnabled=true;otaAuth=auth;reserveSocketConnections(1);}        // enables Over-the-Air updates, with (auth=true) or without (auth=false) authorization password
+
+  [[deprecated("Please use reserveSocketConnections(n) method instead.")]]
+  void setMaxConnections(uint8_t n){requestedMaxCon=n;}                   // sets maximum number of simultaneous HAP connections 
+
 };
 
 ///////////////////////////////
diff --git a/src/Settings.h b/src/Settings.h
index dfce918..4d71ed3 100644
--- a/src/Settings.h
+++ b/src/Settings.h
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@
 
 #define     DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL         0                   // change with homeSpan.setLogLevel(level)
 
-#define     DEFAULT_MAX_CONNECTIONS   14                  // change with homeSpan.setMaxConnections(num);
 #define     DEFAULT_TCP_PORT          80                  // change with homeSpan.setPort(port);
 
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////